The Garbage Helicopter

Jonas Selberg Augustsén,
Sweden 2015,
99 min

Dry humour and crystal-clear, short, carefully composed, static black-and-white shots – is it any wonder that Jonas Selberg Augustsén’s feature film debut is being compared with the early work of Jim Jarmusch? Even so, the Swedish director adds plenty of his own touches, such as poetry and subtle engagement.
One day Grandma Sirpa wakes up and thinks: I want my clock back. It’s already been a year since she gave it to be repaired; enough is enough. Two days later her three bored grandchildren get into an old Saab 900 Turbo – with the clock – on their way to Grandma. The 1000-km-long and slightly absurd journey leads past abandoned highways, objects of interest such as the world’s biggest cheese slicer and a lot of speed traps.
The corny running gags gain in significance as the film progresses, especially when you know that the main characters are Roma. And thus it can happen that a dryly comical road movie about crossword puzzles, bubble wrap and a garbage helicopter also has something to say about cultural heritage and racism.